Arche du Pin

About

The Arche du Pin is a bridge established on the course of an old arm of the Cher, in the commune of Joué-lès-Tours, French department of Indre-et-Loire. Perhaps replacing an older or even ancient bridge, it was built around the thirteenth century. Almost entirely ruined in the 21st century, its remains have been listed as a historical monument since 1964.

Location: The bridge spans the Petit-Cher, a former southern arm of the Cher in the main bed of this river, in the territory of the commune of Joué-lès-Tours, in Indre-et-Loire. It is this arm which, at this level, constitutes the communal boundary between Joué-lès-Tours to the south and Tours to the north.

History: In ancient times, it is likely that a route linking Tours to the south of the Touraine by Thilouze and Saint-Épain crossed the Petit Cher at this location on a missing bridge. The arch of the Pin replaces it, probably in the 13th century and the ancient path is still frequented in the Middle Ages. Tradition also reports that Jeanne d'Arc crossed the Cher on this bridge, on the route that led her from Chinon to Tours, perhaps on April 12, 1429. In 1962 the bridge is in poor condition and its owner reports it to the Archaeological Society...